Taking Names — to Guarantee Access

Those who live and work along the inaugural parade route will be on a Secret Service VIP list, granting them access to their buildings even if the streets are at capacity.

The Secret Service has asked apartment buildings and businesses to hand over a list of those who will need access that day  but not for background checks, said spokesman Malcolm Wiley.

For us, its not a matter of security, he said. Its just that if we reach a point where the capacity has been reached, were still able to accommodate them.

Officials havent asked for Social Security numbers or dates of birth, just names, which will be checked against a form of identification.

Completing background checks on everyone would not only be a cumbersome task, Wiley said, but it would also be unnecessary. The Secret Service will sweep the area beforehand, and everyone who enters will go through a screening process.

For lobbying firms and others along the route who are holding parties, their guests will get the same treatment as long as the firm hands over their names.

The same principle applies, Wiley said, adding that the Secret Service would rather err on providing more people accommodation than fewer. We want to minimize the effect on the community.

The parade route starts near the Mall and ends at the White House, traveling along Pennsylvania Avenue most of the way. Officials have said that no one will be able to enter the area before 7 a.m. on Jan. 20.